Container



I Aug. 15, 1939- J. E. BEVINGTON I CONTAINER Filed March 22, 1957 1N VENTOR.

51% $2 I WTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 15, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,169,892 CONTAINER John E. Bevington, East Cleveland, hio,assignor to Sidney J. Evans, Cleveland, Ohio Application March -22, 1937, Serial No. 132,240 Claims. (Cl. 220-76) This invention relates to improvements in packages or containers, especially of the class used for insecticides and deodorants in cake or crystal form and used to enclose such commodities during shipment, storage and sale and intended thereafter to be hung in clothes closets, lavatories, and such places. I

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a package or container that is simple of construction; that is inexpensive of manufacture; that may be furnished to packers in collapsed condition for the purpose of economizing in space; that may be quickly and conveniently assembled by the packer as the containers are needed, and

that, when assembled, are strong, durable and attractive in appearance.

Other objects will appear as I proceed to describe the invention by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. l is a' perspective view of a package or container constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. '2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the container with one of the end walls or caps removed; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the adjacent ends of the continuous peripheral wall of the container in separated condition; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the ends joined together, and Fig. 6 is a diagram representing the wall ends in side elevation and in readiness to be connected together.

The package or container is preferably constructed of thin resilient sheet metal and comprises a peripheral wall I and end walls or caps 2. In the present embodiment, the peripheral wall is cylindrical and the end walls or caps accordingly are circular. The end walls or caps 2 are punched and drawn from sheet metal and each includes a flange 3 whose edge is shown as "wired at 4.

At the time of manufacture, the peripheral wall I is in the form of a flat strip, and one of its ends, designated 5, is offset from the plane of the body portion of the strip substantially the thickness of the material from which the wall is constructed. The end 5 may be termed the entering 'member of a slip joint by which the ends of the wall are adapted to be connected together. The receiving member of the joint is provided by slitting or notching the opposite end of the strip inwardly a distance substantially equal to the width of the depressed end 5 to provide a broad tongue 6 that liesin the plane of the body portion of the strip, and two relatively narrow fingers I that are offset from said plane in the same direction as the depressed end 5 and a distance approximately twice the thickness of the material of the wall I. As will appear more clearly from Fig. 6, the fingers I are spaced from the plane of the inner surface of the wall I, adjacent their inner ends, a distance slightly greater than the thickness of 5 the material, while their free ends are a distance less than said thickness from said plane.

As stated above, the containers are supplied to the packers in collapsed or knock-down form, so that a great number of both the peripheral 10 walls I and end walls or caps 2 may be packed and stored in a relatively small space and then, preparatory to assembling the packages or containers, the packer, by means of a suitable forming or rolling machine, imparts a substantially cylindrical shape to the peripheral walls I. In assembling a container, the operator grasps an end of the peripheral wall in each hand and inserts the entering member 5 of the joint beneath the tongue 6 and over the fingers I, the extrem ities of the fingers being flared inwardly to facilitate this operation. As soon as the entering member of the joint starts into the receiving member, the fingers 'I are sprung inwardly and being thus placed under tension pinch the entering member and hold the ends of the Wall together. The entering member is inserted as far as it will go into the receiving member, and one of the end walls or caps 2 is then applied, and the commodity that is to be packed is placed in the package or container. The other end wall or cap 2 is now applied to the other end of the peripheral wall, and any relaxing and consequential expanding of the peripheral wall causes it to engage more tightly the flanges 3 of the end walls or caps 2. The lateral dimension of the fingers I is desirably less than the depth of the flanges 3 so that when the package or container is assembled, the parts of the joint in the region of said tongues are concealed by the flanges, leaving only the straight end of the tongues 6 in view. Thus it will be seen that the joint is neat and inconspicuous when the package is completed.

In the case of insecticides or deodorants, it is essential that they be sealed when ready for the market because of their volatile character. For this reason, the commodity is either wrapped in Cellophane or the like before being placed in the package or container, or the container itself is so wrapped. In preparing the package for use, the wrapping is removed so that air may circulate through the package or container and carry off the fumes through the openings I0. So that the container may be hung in a clothes closet or other place, it is equipped with a hook II whose shank is engaged through a hole in the wall I. The hook is initially formed so that it may be engaged outwardly through said hole when preparing the device for use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A container comprising a peripheral wall having one of its ends offset a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said wall and its other end slitted to provide spaced fingers that are offset in the same direction as the former end a distance approximately twice the thickness of, the wall adjacent their inner ends and less than said distance adjacent their free ends,

thereby to permit the first mentioned end to be inserted between said fingers and the intermediate portion of the second mentioned end with said fingers under tension, and flanged end walls engaged over the ends of the peripheral wall.

2. A container comprising a peripheral wall having one of its ends offset a distance-substantially equal to the thickness of said wall and its other end slitted to provide spaced fingers that are oifset in the same direction as the former end a distance approximately twice the thickness of the wall, thereby to permit the first mentioned end to be inserted between said fingers and the intermediate portion of the second mentioned end, the extremities of said fingers being deflected to facilitate the insertion of the first mentioned end, and flanged end walls engaged over the ends of the peripheral wall and concealing said fingers.

3. A container comprising a peripheral wall constructed of a continuous piece of material, one end of said wall being offset from the plane of the body portion of the wall a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the wall, the opposite end of the wall being slittedv longitudinally inwardly from each edge thereof to provide fingers, said fingers being offset from the plane of the wall in the same direction as the first mentioned end a distance approximately twice the thickness of the material, the free ends of the fingers approaching the plane of the adjacent surface of the wall to within a distance less than the thickness of the wall, the extremities of the fingers being deflected away from the plane of said surface, the first mentioned end of the wall being inserted between the fingers and the intermediate portion of the second mentioned end, and flanged end walls applied to the opposite ends of the peripheral wall, the same beingoi a depth sufficient to conceal the slitted portions of the -second mentioned end.

4. A container comprising a cylindrical wall constructed of a continuous piece of material, one ,end of said wall being ofiset inwardly from the plane of the wall a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the wall to provide an entering member of a joint, the other end of said wall being slitted to a depth substantially equal to the width of said entering member along lines spaced inwardly from and parallel to the lateral edges of the wall, thereby to provide fingers adjacent said edges, said fingers being depresed inwardly a distance approximately equal to twice the thickness of the material of the wall, said fingers and the portion of the wall therebetween forming a receiving member into which the entering member of the joint is adapted to be inserted, and circular flanged end caps applied to opposite ends of the cylindrical wall, the flanged end walls serving to conceal the slit of the peripheral wall.

5. A container comprising a peripheral wall constructed of a continuous piece of material having one of its ends abruptly ofiset inwardly substantially the thickness of the material and underlying the opposite end of the piece, said opposite end having a slit substantially parallel to and near its lateral edge to provide a finger, the same being offset inwardly to underlie the first mentioned end, and a flanged end wall telescoped over an end of the peripheral wall and concealing the same to a point inwardly of said slit.

JOHN E. BEVINGTON. 

